Hepatitis and HIV Care

Hepatitis and HIV Care

May 19, 2015

TARGET Center

Hepatitis is widespread, deadly, and yet, largely preventable. In the United States, chronic viral hepatitis (hepatitis B and C) affects 3.5-5.3 million people.

Hepatitis is widespread, deadly, and yet, largely preventable. In the United States, chronic viral hepatitis (hepatitis B and C) affects 3.5-5.3 million people. Most do not know they are infected. Hepatitis is the leading cause of liver transplants in the United States, and it accounts for 12,000-18,000 deaths annually. Worldwide, 130-150 million are infected with HCV, with 350,000 to 500,000 deaths each year.

Managing Hepatitis

Hepatitis management is increasingly within our grasp, given vaccinations, more widespread screening to identify infected individuals, and new treatments--in particular, a new generation of HCV treatments approved in 2013 that has a cure rate of around 90% (AIDS.gov blog). Yet, significant challenges exist, from mobilizing health systems to screen and vaccinate to the high cost of HCV medications. The framework for confronting hepatitis is outlined in the Action Plan for the Prevention, Care, & Treatment of Viral Hepatitis, a 2014 update of the initial 2011 version, with goals and priorities on testing to inform infected individuals of their status, care and treatment for infected persons, preventive work to reduce new cases, and elimination of mother-to-child transmission.

Around one-third of persons living with HIV are coinfected with hepatitis B or C.

Ryan White and Hepatitis

HRSA and Ryan White entities have been working on hepatitis initiatives for a number of years, as described in this2013 AIDS.gov blog. The outcome of these efforts, in terms of tools and resources for ready adoption by others, can be found on the Hepatitis Topic Page. Below are highlights.

HCV Care Initiatives

Ryan White grantee efforts to confront HCV/HIV coinfection coalesced under the SPNS research and demonstration project Hepatitis C Treatment Expansion Initiative, which focused on development of replicable HCV treatment models within HIV primary care programs. Early insights on the Initiative can be found in a 2011 issue of HRSA's What's Going on @ SPNS as well as subsequent research publications and other resources from the Initiative's website. Lessons learned have been turned into training materials and a curriculum under HRSA's IHIP, Integrating HIV Innovative Practices.

Hepatitis Essentials

Hepatitis Awareness

See the AIDS.Gov Awareness Page on May's Hepatitis Awareness Month as well as Hepatitis Awareness Day, May 19. Included are links to awareness campaign events and tools, an Online Hepatitis Risk Assessment, Social Media, and More.